Stock-pen.



, J. A'. FLEMING.

STOCK PEN. APPLICATION FILED AUGJS, 1908. RENEWED JULY 21, 1909.

Patented Aug. 24,1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. FLEMING, F DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

STOCK-PEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 3, 1908, Serial No. 446,734. Renewed July 21, 1909. Serial No. 508,741.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. FLEMING, citizen of the United States, residing at Danville, in the county of Vermilion and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stock-Pens, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in stock pens such as are utilized for retaining stock upon the platform of a scale while being weighed, and the object of the invention is the provision of a simple, strong, and inexpensive stock pen which is mounted so that it can be readily moved upon the platform of the scale. or away from the same and locked in either position.

T he invention further contemplates a stock pen which may be formed entirely of metal and in which the frame may be always held under tension so as to effectively resist any impact which might be caused when weighing live stock in close quarters.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, referonce is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stock pen embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of one of the hinges. Fig. 3 is a similar view of one of the latches. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the latches and shows the hook which is utilized for preventing accidental disengagement of the latch. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a pair of the intersecting wires which are used upon the sides of the stock pen. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the locking device for holding the stock pen against movement. Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the casters upon which the stock pen is mounted.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The stock pen proper comprises a frame which may be formed of any suitable mate rial although structural steel is preferably employed, the sides of the frame being closed by intersecting wires.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention it will be observed that the sides of the stock pen are formed with the upper and lower horizontal bars 1 connected at their opposite ends by the upright bars 2, diagonal braces 3 being placed in the corners of the frame thus formed for reinforcing the same. At the two ends of the pen the up rights 2 are connected by the upper and lower horizontal cross bars 4, the upper horizontal cross bar 4 at each end of the frame being connected to the uprights by the diagonal braces 5 and also to the upper horizontal side bars 1 by the braces 6. At substantially the middle portion of the sides of the pen the horizontal bars 1 are connected by the vertical bars 7, the upper ends of the said vertical bars being oined by an intermediate horizontal cross bar 8 and the said. horizontal bar and vertical bars being reinforced by the braces 9. It will thus be obvious that the frame of the stock pen is braced in every direction so that a perfectly rigid structure is obtained.

Each end of the stock pen is provided with a gate, said gates being formed with the frames 10 and one of the vertical ends of each gate being pivoted to one of the uprights 2 while the opposite vertical edge is provided with latches for engaging the other upright 2. For the purpose of hinging the gates to the stock pen pintles 11 are utilized, the said pintles engaging the sockets 12 upon the upright 2 and being formed in conjunction with triangular plates 13 which are secured to the upper and lower corners of the gate frame 10 at the hinged end thereof and serve to brace the gate frame. As shown on the drawing it will be observed that the two pintles 11 extend upwardly and downwardly in opposite directions and such a construction has the advantage of eliminating any possibility of the gate being lifted from its hinges by the live stock. The latches 14 which are designed to engage latch plates 15 upon the opposite upright 2 are carried by triangular plates 16 which are similar to the before mentioned plates 13 and are applied to the upper and lower corners of the swinging end of the gate so as to cooperate with the plates 13 to reinforce and brace the gate frame. Diagonally opposite plates 13 and 16 are connectcd by the diagonal cross wires 17 which also stiffen and reinforce the gate frame.

Patented Aug. 24:, 1909.

The numerals 27 designate swinging hook members which are adapted to engage the latch bars 14 to hold the same against acci= dental disengagement from the latch plates 15 when the gates are closed.

The sides of the stock pen and the gate frames are provided wit the horizontal Wires 18 and the intersecting vertical wires 19, the former being preferably kinked and formed of spring metal, while the latter are straight and twisted about the horizontal wires at their intersection. These kinked horizontal wires 18 are designed to accommodate expansion and contraction and also serve to keep the various portions of the stock pen in tension so that they may effectively resist any impact such as might be made upon them when weighing live stock in close quarters' The lower horizontal cross bars 4 at each end of the frame are provided with the caster wheels or rollers 20 which are designed to travel upon a track 21 to admit of the stock pen being moved in position upon the platform of a scale or away from the platform to a osition upon one side of the scale.

lhe invention also contemplates means for locking the stock pen in either position and for this purpose stops 22 are utilized, the said stops being perforated at 22 to receive prongs 23 which project in opposite directions from brackets 24 which are secured to the lower horizontal cross bars 4. Pivoted upon each of these brackets 24 is a pair of latch members 25 either one of which is de signed to engage one of the stops 22 to lock the stock pen against movement. The ivot ends of these latches 25 are formed wit the extensions 25 and pivotally mounted upon each of the brackets 24 is a swinging arm 26 which may be caused to engage the extension 25 of either of the latches for holding the latch in an inoperative position. vhen the stock pen has been moved either into position upon the platform of the scale or to one side of the scale one of the prongs 23 upon each end of the pen enters the perforation 22 of a stop 22 and the latches 25 may then be caused to engage the stops. The

stock pen is then securely locked against both vertical and horizontal movement;

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of atrack, a stock pen mounted to travel upon the track, a perfo rated stop, and a prong u on the stock pen for engaging the perforate stop to lock the stock en against movement.

2. he combination of a track, a stock pen mounted to travel upon the track, a erforated stop, a prong carried by the stoc pen and adapted. to enter the perforation of the stop, a swinging latch member adapted to engage the stop and to cooperate with the prong to lock the stock en against movement, and means for ho ding the swinging latch member in an inoperative position.

3. The combination of a movably mounted stock pen, a lperforated stop, a prong carried by the stoc pen for engaging the perforation of the stop, and a latch member also carried by the stock pen for engagement with the stop to lock the stock pen against movement.

4. The combination of a movably mounted stock pen, perforated stops arranged at opposite limits of the movement of the stock pen, a bracket projecting from the stock pen and formed with prongs adapted to enter the perforation of either stop, a air of latch members pivotally mounte upon the bracket for engaging either stop to lock the stock pen against movement, and means for holding one of the latch members in an inoperative position.

5. The combination of a movably mounted stock pen, a sto a latch member for engaging the stop to ock the stock pen against movement, the said latch member being formed with an extension, and a swinging arm for engaging the extension to hold the latch member in an inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. FLEMING.

Witnesses:

Jnssn H. D. PEIM, WALTER SWAN. 

